This space starts a new thread for the blog discussion of our book, Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners, with students in the course ADLDSP 707: Using Technology with Adult Learners at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Post your comments in this blog area by reflecting on the following questions:
· Think about an online course you have taken in the past, what strategies were used to create a sense of presence? How did you feel presence impacted your learning?
· How did your thinking, emotions, and behavior interplay with your sense of presence during the learning experience?
· Reflecting on your past online course experience, what determinants of presence were used in the course to create presence? Please provide examples for each determinant of presence.
· How do you define presence now?
· Now that you know how important it is to create a sense of presence in online instruction, what strategies do you plan to use when designing your next online course?
Your insights are very important to us. Thank you for your participation.
Rosemary and Simone
eInterface
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ReplyDeleteI took an online course with Professor Jack Johnson of the Communication department last year that I felt was very well put together and definitely created a sense of presence for the course. First, Jack put out a welcome letter two weeks prior to the beginning of the course. In his letter, he was very conversational and set a very friendly tone for the course. The course was content based and therefore more self-paced. Jack utilized group discussions of readings and instructor videos. His role was that of facilitator and tutor although I personally also valued him as a mentor. The type of technology used was LMS, e-mail, video illustrations, and discussion board. We always had access to contacting him for support and he gave us the information we needed to get tech support when needed. I think the most important factor in creating a sense of presence for his class was the fact that Jack was fully engaged with his students. He never assumed he knew what a student meant but always asked clarifying questions and paraphrased to make sure he knew where a student was at in learning before he answered their question. In other online courses I’ve taken more often than not teachers do not do this. A student will ask a question and the teacher answers based on their own agenda or assumption. It causes a student to feel misunderstood and either the student has to ask more questions or force an expanded discussion in order to get the teacher on the same page.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is difficult in any setting but I think it is more difficult online because we have fewer queues by which to connect. If we are not seeing the same image together or ideas together, it makes communication and relating a more difficult process and I believe can be a barrier to the sense of presence needed online.
Jack’s course made my thinking a bit more structured as he laid out very well planned instructions and a solid course schedule. What I mean by a solid course schedule was that he didn’t change anything or give the student any surprises during his course. We knew what we had to do and we were able to choose the time we would allot to complete our assignments. This type of preparedness on his part created a sense of safety for the students and thus a great catalyst for learning to genuinely take place. In other online courses I’ve taken, this has not been the case. I had one teacher changing our assignments the week we were working on them (ie redefining how we should write our discussion answers). This was extremely frustrating for people like me who need to plan my work ahead of time in order to fit my education into my busy schedule. I truly enjoy doing well and in environments where the teacher is making changes on a whim, it is simply teaching the students not to trust the instructor to help them succeed in doing well. It can create a sense of fear and frustration and I believe can hinder learning because a student becomes more focused on what the teacher wants rather than on learning the content or process being taught.
I agree that presence is defined as a sense of “being there” and “being together with others”. In planning my own online courses, I definitely want to be fully prepared before the course even begins. Jack’s course was a great model for creating a sense of safety and flow conductive to learning. From reading this book; however, I realize now there are differences between content-based and process-based courses which one would want to consider when creating an online course. The modes of communication you choose for a course can be somewhat dependent on the objectives you are trying to achieve as well. I also would wait until the students feel comfortable navigating in the environment before I challenge them to do group work. Mastering the technology is important in building a sense of confidence that a student will need when doing group work.
Trish
Hi Trish,
DeleteI agree with you about the need to have everything mapped out for the course. When assignments are changed at a whim, that can lead to a lot of problems in on-line courses. In a face to face class, I think that a teacher has a little more flexibility with changing assignments because you can explain the differences and explain the new project all in one class period. In an on-line environment, especially in an asynchronous class,this same process could take several days hundering the students ability to get the work done on time.
Trish,
DeleteI have to agree with you about communication. We have to be really careful online because of the lack of visual and verbal cues.
It always helps to step back and read posts a second time and think and re-read our posts as well.
Hi Trish,
DeleteI would agree with the frustration of changes being made to an on-line course in the middle of instruction, but I also feel that if there is a sense of presence in the classroom, you can stress your uneasiness with the instructor to see if there would be a better solution. Communication flows two ways and we as students need to also have the comfort level to feel comfortable to communicate with the instructors which will create the presence. I think individual learners tend to be more open during the online discussions compared to the face to face classroom conversations - no fear of retaliation. Each learner has an unique learning style and you seem to like the structured behavioral approach and that is a good way to learn.
Lisa
I have never taken a fully on-line class, but I have taken a couple of hybrid courses. In one of my hybrid classes, we were required to write several papers together. In order to develop social presence, all group members were required to share the results of several personality tests we had taken. After that, we then discussed how our similarities or differences could help or hindering our group process and discuss strategies for ways to resolve any issues that may arise. By having these discussions with my fellow group members, I felt that I knew them and their personalities a little better.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, in another hybrid course that I took, the instructor created a sense of instructor presence, by intervening in group processes that had stalled, asking questions to keep the conversations going and to ask for clarification when certain points that were being made weren’t clear.
I feel like the presence that created had a positive impact on my learning. Last semester was my first semester back in school after several years out in the real world. Feeling close to my group members created a sense of trust within the group, and through my instructor I learned the power of definition and clarity in the on-line setting. Despite being on-line and never physically being in the same place with the other learners, I always felt as though I was part of a class and that we were all working towards the same goal.
Hi Jen,
DeleteThe personal connection between members is something I'm not too sure about. I had two fantastic team mates in my last course and the whole project went very smoothly. We had Skype sessions and chats.
Yet, I still feel / think of them as nebulous virtual presences. It could be that we didn't bond on a personal level and yet, in the online realm, it's easy to just focus on the task and get the job done.
Anita - your comment about not being sure about the personal connection that can be obtained in the online environment is very interesting to me. I also struggle a bit with this. My personal preference is always to meet people face-to-face. I interact with a lot of people via email/phone for business reasons and it isn't until I actually meet them in person that I feel like I truly know them. I wonder if this is because I have not had the 'suspension of disbelief' that the book talks about. I cannot psychologically let go of reality entirely. It really fascinates me that today we have people who 'date' online and even propose marriage before ever meeting in person. Those people must really be good at suspension of disbelief!
DeleteHi Jen,
DeleteWelcome back. I have had several group projects throughout my coursework and have always had a positive result with everyone working and communicating together well. The wealth of information that was shared and developed was unbelievable. During these processes the instructor worked as the course facilitator and only dropped in to give support when needed.
The first completely online course that I took was last semester with Dr Simone. So, I was able to experience first hand how presence is established in the virtual classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe following determinants were factors that created a high sense of presence for me, during the course.
- Feedback after every module
- Detailed syllabus
- Early notification of requirements
- Proactive reaching out by the instructor to address learners problems
- Availability of the instructor
- Skype
- Emails
For a course assignment, I carried out a survey of online learners and the one thing they all mentioned was feedback. They liked courses where they were given prompt and relevant feedback and where the instructor was available. Frustration arose when emails were unanswered, syllabus was unclear and material was not tailored for the online classroom. The 'feedback' that they mentioned was the sense of presence that they all craved.
The short survey proved to be a negative learning experience wherein, I learnt what NOT to do and my course showed me what TO DO. When I plan an online course, I will focus on -
- complete course preparation at least 2 weeks before the course starts
- implement various technologies including Facebook, Twitter and Skype
- clear syllabus and expectation
- regular correspondence to learners
- available to learners.
Anita,
DeleteI agree completely with you about being prepared. When I was student teaching a face-to-face class I found thqat when I was less than two weeks prepared, I felt as if I was behind. In an on-line setting, that problem is only exacerbated.
I also agree with you about providing regular correspondance to learners. I believe that when corresponding with students you need to be very clear and concise in your instructions and hit them with the message in at least two different ways.
Hi Anita,
DeleteI really appreciated your survey results - "They liked courses where they were given prompt and relevant feedback and where the instructor was available. Frustration arose when emails were unanswered, syllabus was unclear and material was not tailored for the online classroom. The 'feedback' that they mentioned was the sense of presence that they all craved."
Getting relevant and timely feedback is important in feeling valued and validated. It is extremely frustrating in any relationship with those elements aren't present. As a teacher myself, I know I am more apt to give full attention to my students when I am prepared each week. Having that preparation serves both the students and myself immensely. I also definitely agree those factors add to the sense of presence felt online.
I do an activity with my f2f class where the students will pair up and one will tell the other a story of something they are proud of. The partner is told to actively listen and show signs they are really listening such as leaning forward, looking into their partner's eyes, saying "uh huh" and asking relevant questions. I have them switch roles so they both can experience the exercise. Then I have them both get new parnter's and re-do the exercise except the second time the listener is told to make sure they are doodling and not showing supportive listening behaviors. When the entire exercise is over and everyone has had a change to experience all the roles I ask them how they felt in each instance and every one of them say they felt important and validated when listened to and got relevant feedback and absolutely terrible when the other person wasn't listening.
Whether online or f2f, how we listen (read), give feedback (write), when we do these things and even how we do them can play a role in feeling valued or in some cases not. I think it is extremely important to understand those dynamics and make sure we incorporate that understanding into our teaching both online and off.
Trish
The first online course I have ever taken was last semester. I have always thought I would do better in face to face environments. I always thought that I needed a structured environment where what was going on in the space I was in was dedicated to just learning and not making waffles or breaking up arguments. I actually did just as well as a face to face classroom. The professor placed everyone into 1 of 2 groups. In these groups we answered discussion questions on a discussion board. This happened weekly and the professor was in constant contact with us in the discussion board. She would comment on some of our posts as well as post thought provoking questions while the discussion was happening to help us continue down a certain path or to get us to think deeper. She also gave us a couple of paragraphs about herself including likes, dislikes and family life. There was a scavenger hunt to help us navigate the Learning Management System (LMS). We didn't just have to look around the site, we had to answer specific questions about the content including giving her the due dates of certain assignments as well as what was the seventh word in paragraph two of the plagiarism part of the student hand book. I appreciated this as a student because it forced me to go and look at the course as a whole versus just what do I have to do and when is it due. Having just these few items to help create a sense of presence made me feel like I was a part of the course and helped me with my need to connect in the course.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking, emotions and behavior interplayed with my sense of presence during this course in multiple ways. I know for a fact if there wasn't a sense of presence to connect me to the course I would have done poorly without the structured face to face walled in classroom. After having typed that out I sound like a child in need of boundaries. However, as my discussion board post about myself explains, I have so much going on with family, work and school I need to have some sort of structure to make sure everything gets done. I felt safe in the environment, secure in the structure, happy that it made me feel like as if I was in a classroom as well as relieved I was still a person in the class versus a login name in a blog.
The determinants of presence used in my past online course were:
- a content focus (having us answer questions about research on different subjects relating to class in a discussion board)
- interactive strategies (discussion board and scavenger hunt are examples of this determinant of presence)
- role of the instructor (examples of this was as a facilitator during discussions, instructional designer, learner as opinions and information gathered was used by the instructor to help her learn as well)
- types of technology (LMS and discussion board was used)
- kinds of support provided (both the instructor and support from IT was available as well as tutorials about the technology).
Presence was always defined by me as being physically some place. My definition has changed to include the use of technologies to support the behaviors, thoughts and emotions of learners to create a sense of belonging and inclusion without physically being in a certain place at a certain time.
When designing my next online course, I will plan to include a number of strategies to enhance the student’s sense of presence. This will include a scavenger hunt with a slight twist. Not only will the scavenger hunt include looking at the course as a whole I will also include looking at the technologies in the scavenger hunt. Let me explain this in a little more detail. Not only are there a lot of technologies out there to create a sense of presence, but within each technology there are different companies involved in creating these technologies. I would add as part of the scavenger hunt the ability of the student to show me they know how to use the technologies I will be utilizing in the course. This could be how to navigate the discussion board to signing up for a blog.
Hi Todd,
DeleteI like your scavenger hunt with a twist idea! I think too often we just use the technology without thinking about it and for people new to online learning, giving them the assignment to purposely use the technology to fill the assignment is important. I know Regina Smith utilizes this method as well.
Trish
I have taken a number of online courses through the on-line PhD Nursing program at UW Milwaukee. Most have been very well prepared but a couple have not been and a lack of presence was definitely missing. Of the courses that I have taken where a good presence was felt online the impact was improved involvement of the students and the instructor was an active participant, guiding group discussion (especially when we wandered off-topic) and assisting us with finding appropriate technology support as needed to keep us involved. We used the D2L site mainly with some skype and eluminate. We had mainly audio recording but one instructor included some video lectures as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe I would define presence as the authors defined it, being there and being together as a group. When I create an online course I would use strategies to ensure students feel included/wanted, respond often to encourage the students to feel that their conversations in their discussion groups are read and as the instructor I would ensure I provide thoughtful and thought provoking feedback. I would also ensure I had online office hours that provided variety of hours during the week and ensure I checked discussions frequently during the day and respond to students by name so that students feel they have prompt responses to their questions.
I am first entering to see if my remarks successfully publish, which they did not first time around.
DeleteNow that I know what I am doing, I would have to say that my first experience with online learning was not too good. This was in large part due I am sure to my total lack of computer skills when I returned to school after many years, when there was no such thing as a PC. My first hybrid class required us to become familiar with elluminate, a technology I found very user unfriendly. Having to complete 3 group papers in the second half of the semester, my group and I abandoned this altogether as a form of communication. My second hybrid course was another matter. This was a course in the History and Philosophy of Adult Education, taught by Professor Conceicao. The design was very user friendly even for someone as lacking in technology skills as myself. By the second week of the class I felt what the text describes as a sense of presence, subjectively, objectively and socially. Relying primarily on the discussion board, very strong learner to learner interaction was felt by myself. Each week questions from the readings were set forth, and answered, but what made for a good online experience was the interactions between us learners as we replied to each others posts. Simone as a catalyst stepped aside and our discussions seemed to take on a life of their own. One reply led to another and all learned from the other. I felt no inclination not to express my full views, felt the presence of other learners and my skill in critical reflection was greatly enhanced through my setting forth and defending my thoughts and views.
DeleteHi Andy,
DeleteI've been surprised by how much of a presence is established through video presentations and Skype conversations. This really closes the geographical gap.
Hi Steve,
DeleteI have to agree, Dr Conceicao's courses really create a sense of presence and so far, for me, are the gold standard for an online course.
I like the format, the clarity of instructions, the instructor availability and the assessments.
Hello Anita,
DeleteYour observations which flesh out my own I wholly agree with. I hope no one implies from my statement about Professor Conceicao stepping aside that she was not actively involved, because as you noted this was not the case.
I plan on working with GED aspirants and low level literacy students, most of which have widely varying levels of education and skills. Most also have not had very good experiences with the traditional education system.
This creates a situation for an instructor where there will need to be more individual tailoring and grouping of learners. Even so by creating a sense of presence and giving this population of learners a feeling of being part of something while at the same time allowing them to feel that they are responsible for their learning, I believe an online environment will be a far more satisfying learning experience for them. The rate of drop-outs in this population is staggering and online learning should be able to reverse some of this.
Steve,
DeleteOnline environments for struggling learners has always been something that has interested me. Unfortunately there is a connection between income level and success in school. Because of this I think for many years people have assumed that these students have not had access to technology. In recent years that seems to have shifted. In the alternative program I worked at I saw more and more students having access to devices that could get them online.
As GED testing is shifting in the next couple of years to web-based I look forward to seeing how this opens up opportunities for students.
Hi Karen B and Steve,
DeleteThis is something that I personally would like to see within my own community, an online environment for low income adult students to achieve higher education, including GED opportunities. One of the major hurdles is motivation and commitment of the individual learners.
Lisa
Karen, do you think the link between income and success in school goes beyond technology to total amount of possible opportunities?
DeleteAfter reading everyone else's comments, I have been thinking alot about pressence. Until very recently I have always thought of pressence as a physical attribute, but we have probably all had at least one encounter in our lives where we were sitting with someone at the same table or in the same room but didn't feel that person was present with us. I am really starting to see pressence as an emotional connectedness and inclusion that develops when people start to feel trust amongst each other.
ReplyDeleteJen this is very insightful! I, too, have experienced being physically in the same room with someone but knowing they are 'emotionally' not present. I really like your definition of presence as 'an emotional connectedness and inclusion that develops when people start to feel trust amongst each other.' The notion of 'trust' is very powerful!
DeleteJenF, I would agree, presence is more than just physical presence. I used to think the same way and it wasn't until I started taking online classes with my PhD cohort that I learned that the connection between was greater simply because we developed an emotional connection with each other. Strange to think of at first, but very glad it happened :)
DeleteAndy
I have only taken two online courses prior to this one. The first course was an undergrad Statistics course and it was nearly 15 years ago. I do remember loving the course, but unfortunately I cannot remember the specifics of why I loved it. I do remember it being highly organized, easy to navigate and fun. (That’s right I said statistics was fun!)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the other class I took was not necessarily a model for presence. The course began with orientation activities that had us experimenting with different types of technology. There were getting to know you activities that were used to divide us into groups. In the following weeks the course became group based and used team problem solving and small group discussion. We were given scenarios for which we had to create action plans. The role of the instructor was as facilitator and the types of technology were discussion board, e-mail and elluminate.
Early in the course I started to notice that there were misinterpretations between expectations, student posts and instructor feedback. This significantly deteriorated the perceptual presence because it felt like I wasn’t being understood. This evolved into a lack of trust and I found myself throughout the course not really understanding where I was at or how I was doing. My emotions were on a bit of a roller coaster because I went from feeling totally incompetent, to frustrated, to eventually apathetic. I can already see differences in this course and I am hoping I can learn more from my experience in my last course so that I can create effective online learning environments.
It has taken me some time to try and figure out how I define presence. One thing that I keep coming back to is the relationships that get built in graduate school. Often times your cohort becomes your allies and professors become your mentors. People may be likely to “friend” members of their cohort on facebook and is not unlikely that you will someday ask a professor for a letter of recommendation for employment or further education. I am writing this because I keep thinking about “presence” online and how these two things seem to have been missed in my last course. I do not feel like I developed a cohort in the last course and I do not feel connected to my instructor. Perhaps these things are not important but I just can’t stop going back to them when I think about presence.
At this point I define presence as an environment that is transparent, somewhat predictable, and promotes active discourse that is challenging, engaging and sustainable. Someone in an earlier post brought up trust, I think being able to trust the environment is key, so that members can “be there” and feel safe to take risks and challenge themselves.
The strategy that most resonated with me was planning the whole course upfront. I tend to be someone who does not do this but now that I have seen how it can affect an online course, I cannot imagine not doing it. I will also incorporate different technologies that are engaging and promote social presence and interaction. I will incorporate virtual office hours during the course as well.
Hi Karen,
DeleteThe definition you give of presence is very well stated, and I think you will find that the format of Simone's online courses will meet up with your expectations of what an online course should foster, trust, transparency etc.
The previous course I had with Professor Conceicao was a philosophical and historical look at Adult Education, philosophy and history were my areas of study as an undergraduate and so I was able to apply this to the field of Adult Education.
I do however have a tendency to get too far off track with analogies, yet even this seemed welcomed by other learners. I say this because I developed a strong sense of trust in other learners through my own transparency, which was in turn reciprocated, making for a transparent environment.
Thanks Steven. I agree, I think transparency has to be established by the students as well. I think in an online environment it is easier to just sort of agree with things to avoid conflict. I think this can diminish trust.
DeleteHi Karen,
DeleteI am sorry that you had such an horrible experience during the last course. As you move forward through the course work, you will develop a dialogue with everyone within the discussion group, especially if you are an active member of the discussions. I know there are different types of instructors, but to create a true presence it is important to create an environment where individual learners feel comfortable with the material and the instructor. Simone and Rosemary do a great job in the introductions and Module one presentations to give the feel of getting to know the instructors along with the material.
I will be your cohort! Lisa
I have only taken one other online course and it was not a very positive experience, unfortunately. I felt there was no sense of presence and I was not connected at all to the online learning community. In fact, our group ended up meeting face-to-face each week to work on our project and did not engage in any online group work. All of us were enrolled in the on campus program and this was our first online course and we were not completely engaged in the online learning format. The course instructor did not have a problem with us meeting face to face and really did not facilitate any sense of presence. I honestly feel as if that course left a ‘bad taste’ in my mouth for online learning, which is sad because I am really excited by technology and feel online learning is the way of the future. I hope to teach more online and want to make sure I can overcome the problem of not providing the sense of presence with my students in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking, emotions and behavior interplayed with my sense of presence in several ways. First of all, as mentioned previously, I came into the class with anxious thoughts because it was my first online course. I am very much a ‘people person’ and love face to face interaction so my preference to enroll in an on campus PhD program was well thought out for good reason. I think that, emotionally, I was a little afraid that I would not be able to show my full personality and abilities in the online environment. My behavior – specifically my choice to meet with my group in person versus online – did not help create any sense of presence in the online environment. In retrospect, I really wish I would have forced myself to still participate in the online format, despite all our group members living locally and being willing and able to meet face-to-face. I feel as if I did not get a true sense of presence in the online environment, as a result.
(CONTINUED...)
ReplyDeleteThe determinants of presence, as articulated by Simone and Conceicao (2010) were not completely well thought out in the course that I took, unfortunately. The type and focus of the content was on principles of adult learning with an emphasis on the process of problem based learning. The format of the learning experience was group-based, which I believe was appropriate to help better understand problem based learning. However, there were very few interactive strategies employed to help engage learners with each other or the instructor. The role of the instructor was meant to be a facilitator, but there was very minimal contact with, feedback from, or sense of availability to the students from the instructor, unfortunately. The technology used included a learning management system (D2L) and voiceover powerpoints. Finally, though there was adequate technical support from a teaching assistant, there was minimal instructional support available from the instructor.
I now define presence as ‘being able to see past and disregard the technology and feel that you are truly engaged with others in the online environment. I believe that once you truly feel 'presence' you won't realize you are online and it will not distract you from fully engaging with your peers and the instructor in discussion and learning.
The book by Simone and Conceicao (2010) really opened my eyes to the importance of creating a sense of presence, as well as strategies to help when creating an online course. I found the description of the Framework for Designing Online Courses with a Sense of Presence to be very insightful. Central to the idea of creating presence is the need for the instructor to be aware of how presence occurs and take steps to design the course with a sense of presence, keeping in mind the determinants of presence. Some specific ideas that I think will really enhance even the hybrid course I am teaching this semester is to add group-based activities to the current self-paced modules, include more interactive strategies, such as guest lecturers, team problem solving, and video demonstrations, as well as to help provide more formal support for the students, both technically and related to the instruction.
I am very impressed with your reflections and the connections you are making between the concepts in the model and framework and your own experience. Your insights are also making me reflect on my own experience as a designer, facilitator, mentor, and catalyst.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of presence can be elusive and difficult to understand. Through theory you can understand the roots of the concept, but it is really through practice that you can fully understand what it is all about. Your descriptions of presence are like putting theory to practice.
By understanding presence early on in the semester, you will be able to create the online program/course (as part of future team project assignment) with presence in mind and put yourself in the place of the learner.
Great job, everyone!
Simone Conceição
Logged in as eInterface
One item that is brought up by JenF is the emotional side of presence. Yes, we have ways to show emotion with an all online atmosphere. We have all uppercase, a change in font in both style and size, color of the font,etc. It just doesn't compare to being in front of people. I do have a hard time with the emotional aspect in determining what someone really meant in what they typed versus body language and eye contact. I think we can get close to being able to perfect the emotional side of presence in an online course however it can't match the face to face real deal....in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Todd. I guarantee that this is why I had some trouble last semester. Eventually I picked up the phone and then it got easier. I'm going to try and use skype this semester to help as well.
DeleteHave you ever heard of the "hallway" theory, or the after-meeting-meetings? That's a time when some significant work can get done. How do you create those environments, or more so how do you create the presence for those environments?
It may be harder but I prefer to think of it as different. In the past I have found Eluminate and Skype quite helpful, especially with the video/audio combination. It helps to create a great connection with others. I have also found the members of my PhD cohort and I often chat on skype even when we are not sharing a class- "hallway" theory and all. Andy
DeleteEveryone here from what I have read really have enjoyed Dr. Conceicao's classes. I am excited about learning more about what it takes to be better at creating presence with my presentations. It seems to be the key to everything with online learning.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone, my name is Lisa Lecher and I have been in the online learning environment for approximately two years now, some of the past strategies that were used to create a sense of presence were instructor and student interaction in the on-line weekly group discussions. The instructor also gave constant guidance and feedback throughout the course which was very important for me being a first time on-line learner it gave me a road map for future online courses. This created a new confidence in the ability to learn through the on-line learning environment without the instructor/classroom contact (personally being within the classroom).
ReplyDeleteWhen I first signed up for the on-line courses at UWM, I was very hesitant and unsure if that was the right situation for me emotionally and developmentally. I needed to make sure that I could excel in the coursework and work towards my graduate’s degree. This takes commitment of time; would I be committed to scheduling the time for the on-line discussions, completing the homework without an instructor asking to see where I am every week, and to complete the readings and presentations on my own. This was a big step for me, to continue on to graduate’s school, so my first impression – I was very nervous, fear, and uncertainty of the learning process and my ability to stay committed to the on-line environment.
Continuing unable to post in one
ReplyDeleteSome of the past on-line courses used several determinants to create the sense of presence such as on-line introductions of the instructors and students, giving students a sense of comfort of who their instructor is and how they can be contacted if needed. The instructor also learns valuable information about the learner during the introductions, where they are in their education, employment, family, hobbies. Instructor Lab PowerPoint with instructions to guide through the different modules, Sharing and clarifying section for questions and answers. Co-operative section of on-line discussion and interactive group projects with individual grades given, and UWM has a great help desk that is open whenever I call. The instructors have also been available through e-mail and Skype for additional assistance. When I put all of this together it creates a great sense of presence for me and motivation to keep moving forward towards my goal of completing graduate school.
I define presence as knowing your learners, we learn throughout our lives through life experiences in developmental stages and share those experiences through passed down knowledge (Erikson, Erikson, & Kivnick,1986). Creating true presence is understanding the cultural differences of others, their educational needs with open communication throughout the learning process – from beginning - middle – end of the course. As Lehman & Conceicao (2010), state being there together with the learners through the complete learning process is key to developing a sense of presence.
The strategies I will use when designing my next on-line course to create a sense of presence
- Instructor introduction video, I feel that the video that Simone has put together to introduce herself to the class for the course is excellent and would tailor mine according to this layout.
- On-line Orientation would include student introductions and beginners survey to see where the students are within the learning process. Step-by-step guide on how to use the web page
- Course Instruction – Once a week virtual instruction available when needed, for students that need assistance or guidance on the course, class discussion with a minimum of three posts per week with an understanding of the course reading and critical thinking
- Group projects to build co-operative learning with individual grading based on group evaluation of individual members and instructor followed posts
- Technical support – available to the students throughout the course through e-mail, Skype, and on-line discussion area.
- Give constant feedback and open communication about how they are doing within the course, if someone does not seem to be participating in the discussions, I will send a reminder e-mail or ask if they need assistance with some of the assignments, being approachable and available is important to any learners success.
This semester I am taking two online courses. This is my very first experience with learning and participation in this way. So far, it has been a little frustrating and I do feel significantly out of touch. This is much different; however, I am open to learning and experiencing the benefits of learning online versus learning face to face. So far, my two online courses share in their approach to assisting students establish a presence by posting self introductions and requiring each student to respond to at least one other student’s posting. However, for me, this really has not helped much in establishing a presence for myself or really feeling the presence of others—no offense, I do realize we are all people in this together. Yet, this does feel more separate than together so far. I’m interested in discovering how the process works and am willing to go through it.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking, emotions, and behavior have interplayed with my sense of presence during the learning experience so far in various ways, I suppose. My thinking consists of what I am learning are many false assumptions about how online learning works. Although my two classes are not the same in their approach there are similarities, which I really didn’t expect. I somewhat assumed we would focus more on individual assignments and submitting those than it seems we do so far. I see here we do things individually, but also we have to read the work of others and respond via various virtual communication media. My thinking and emotions are honestly frustrated, as I already have a whole lot of literature to read for all of my classes. Its reading, reading and more reading. I appreciate the views and knowledge of others, its just a little awkward and more work to communicate/discuss things all in writing; not to mention having an overload of unread postings daily and having to open them each individually to see them (am I doing something wrong here?). My behavior has thus far in this class somewhat hindered my sense of presence in this class, specifically. I had a harder time than I thought I would getting signed up for the blog on einterface and posting a picture (which still isn’t done); I kept assuming it couldn’t be that difficult and I would figure it out……only to finally ask for help in getting it done. In summary, there is much learning going on in simply learning how to function with the various technologies in addition to the actual learning the subject matter that I signed up for. Its been challenging so far; however, I do understand the perspective that these methods are appropriate in an online environment.
I now define presence as simply becoming involved with others virtually and being present as an active participant in course discussion.
I understand that presence is important for some types of online instruction. A significant amount of knowledge is gained by communicating with others, either verbally or through reading. This exchange of knowledge is a major part of education and in some ways more valuable and meaningful than simply reading facts and theories in a book. If possible, my strategy would be to arrange at least one face-to-face class in the beginning of the course and let that be the means for participants to meet one another and then continue online. I would also give participants the option on the virtual site to either see the thread of comments in a full view stream form or individually as they choose; thereby, giving each the ability to adapt the medium more to his/her personal preferences. If building a sense of community or common interest with other participants is not par to the course, however, I would skip the participant-interactive aspects and focus more on ways to transfer the desired knowledge and skills of the course content.
Jenny, I too was frustrated at first with blogging and couldn't figure it out, it took me quite a few attempts to figure it all out. But, like any new skill, resilience is needed to master it. Glad you figured it out too :)
DeleteWe are pleased with your reflections on presence as they relate to the concepts addressed in our book. Some of the comments have given us some new insight such as the idea that presence is not only a physical attribute, but also an emotional connectedness and inclusion that develops through trust.
ReplyDeleteAnother insight that was offered was that the technologies support the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions to create a sense of presence. And a number of you mentioned the importance of instructor feedback and contributions of the instructor as a facilitator in the online environment.
Thank you again for making our book concrete with the real life examples you offered in your remarks.
Rosemary and Simone
eInterface